FuNGI Utility: Ortholog-based Exploration (1)

A complex-level example of how conserved yeast nucleolar subunits are represented in FuNGI.

From model yeast to diverse fungal phyla
Why box C/D snoRNP and PeBoW complex?

The nucleolus is the most conspicuous nuclear domain and serves as the primary site for ribosome synthesis. Within this hub, complex ribonucleoprotein (RNP) machineries must be precisely localized to perform specialized functions ranging from ribosomal RNA (rRNA) modification to structural maturation. While the box C/D snoRNP core complex represents a classic system for site-specific RNA processing, the PeBoW complex provides a critical link between the assembly of ribosomal subunits and the control of cell growth and proliferation.

We selected these two systems as reference frameworks because they represent well-characterized examples of this intricate nucleolar targeting system, illustrating the utility of our database.


Biological significance

The box C/D snoRNP complex is essential for directed rRNA 2'-O-methylation, a critical step in ribosome biogenesis. This complex is composed of four highly conserved core proteins: Nop1p (fibrillarin), Snu13p, Nop56p, and Nop5p/Nop58p. Key insights from previous research highlight why these are ideal for validating out database.

In addition, the PeBoW complex (Pes1, Bop1, and WDR12) is another core complex subunits that coordinates ribosome biogenesis with the cell cycle. In yeast, its homologous core complex (Nop7p, Erb1p, and Ytm1p) is essential for the maturation of the 60S ribosomal subunit and DNA replication. The structural and functional integrity of this complex is required for proper rRNA processing and mammalian cell proliferation.


References

Lafontaine DLJ, Tollervey D. Synthesis and Assembly of the Box C+D Small Nucleolar RNPs. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2000. 20(8):2650–9.

Hölzel M, Rohrmoser M, Schlee M, Grimm T, Harasim T, Malamoussi A, Gruber-Eber A, Kremmer E, Hiddemann W, Bornkamm GW, Eick D. Mammalian WDR12 is a novel member of the Pes1–Bop1 complex and is required for ribosome biogenesis and cell proliferation. J. Cell Biol. 2005. 170(3):367–78.


FuNGI utility: From model systems to fungal proteomes

While these complexes are well-characterized in model organisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FuNGI extends this knowledge across the diverse fungal phyla. By identifying how these conserved fungal orthologs are represented in our database, we can demonstrate FuNGI's possibility to capture biologically relevant proteins containing nucleolar localization signals (NoLSs).

Interpretation for this page.
The networks illustrate the canonical subunits of the box C/D snoRNP and PeBoW complexes. Please note that detail panels are displayed only for subunits with at least one predicted NoLS. FuNGI catalogs only proteins predicted to contain NoLSs.
Reference yeast subunits in FuNGI

Because the source organism for this tutorial is Saccharomyces cerevisiae Statistics , we first show how the reference yeast subunits are represented in FuNGI before identifying orthologs in other fungal proteomes.

ComplexSubunitAccessionGene# NoLS# NLSPSORTConfidenceUniProt
box C/D snoRNP NOP1 P15646 Kpol_1010p66 0 1 nucl Low (8.6) UniProt
box C/D snoRNP NOP56 A7TL01 Kpol_530p27 1 1 cyto_nucl Medium (10.7) UniProt
box C/D snoRNP NOP58 A7TIF5 NOP58 1 1 nucl Medium (11.2) UniProt
box C/D snoRNP SNU13 P39990 Kpol_1067p31 0 0 cyto Low (2.3) UniProt
PeBoW NOP7 A7TSA8 NOP7 3 3 nucl High (22) UniProt
PeBoW ERB1 Q04660 ERB1 0 1 nucl Medium (11.4) UniProt
PeBoW YTM1 Q12024 YTM1 0 1 nucl Medium (10.9) UniProt
Interactive complex demonstration
Box C/D snoRNP subunits
NOP1 Ortholog found only NOP56 FuNGI detail available NOP58 FuNGI detail available SNU13 Ortholog found only
FuNGI detail available Ortholog found only No ortholog found
Selected subunit details

NOP56

FuNGI detail available Ortholog: G4N2E5 FuNGI_ID: 0815476
Gene / protein MGG_07915
Nucleolar protein 58
Confidence High (16.2)
NoLS 1
461-514
NLS 2
467-489, 501-511
PSORT nucl: 16.000 , cyto_nucl: 0.000 , mito_nucl: 0.000
Nuclear-related sum: 16.000
RBH support Forward: identity 60.23 , qcovs 86
Reverse: identity 60.092 , qcovs 85
Subunit-level summary
Query (Yeast Complex Subunit) Subject (Fungal Ortholog)
Complex Source Subunit UniProt Species FuNGI_ID Accession Gene Name # NoLS # NLS PSORT UniProt
box C/D snoRNP S. cerevisiae NOP56 Q12460 Magnaporthe oryzae 0815476 G4N2E5 MGG_07915 1 2 nucl UniProt
box C/D snoRNP S. cerevisiae NOP58 Q12499 Magnaporthe oryzae 0816267 G4MPA1 MGG_07008 3 2 cyto UniProt
What this utility shows

This utility demonstrates that while prediction support may vary across conserved subunits, FuNGI effectively captures and prioritizes well-characterized proteins containing nucleolar localization signals (NoLSs).

By using established systems like the box C/D snoRNP and PeBoW complexes as reference frameworks, users can systematically explore orthologs in a target proteome and identify which candidates exhibit the strongest nucleolar localization signals.

In Magnaporthe oryzae, for instance, this approach successfully identifies NOP56 and NOP58 as high-confidence candidates. These results show FuNGI’s potentials to discover biologically relevant proteins across 769 fungal proteomes, transforming integrative predictions into functional insights.